The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
🎙️ The Child Care Director’s Chair – Where Big Dreams and Bigger Leadership Collide!
Ready to level up your child care career? Whether you're a teacher assistant dreaming of that lead teacher badge, a lead ready to snag that director title, or a director with your sights set on owning your own center (or multiple ones 👀)—this is your seat at the table. And spoiler alert: leadership isn’t a title, it’s an action.
Hosted by the one and only Erica Saccoccio—part coach, part cheerleader, and full-time leadership hype man—you’ll get daily doses of real talk, big laughs, and bold leadership truths. We’re talking practical strategies, mindset shifts, and serious elevation vibes... all served with love (and a little sass 😘).
✨ New episodes drop Monday–Friday at 1 AM EST—so you can sip your coffee, set your goals, and strut into your center like the boss you’re becoming.
This show is a great addition to your leadership toolbox or the perfect resource for your team onboarding sessions—because the best programs grow their teams from within. 💪
Pull up your chair, future leader. Let’s do this thing. 💼💥
The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
535 Mentorship Matters: Building Confidence, Clarity & Stronger Educators
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if the key to reducing burnout, building confidence, and strengthening retention in early childhood education wasn’t working harder—but finding the right mentor?
In this powerful episode of the Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica sits down with Kerry Drake to unpack the true impact of mentorship in our field. Kerry introduces her transformative Peace Framework, built on four essential pillars: Expectations, Accountability, Communication, and Evaluation—a practical roadmap designed to help educators gain clarity, confidence, and direction in their roles.
Together, they explore:
- Why mentorship is critical at every stage of your career
- The difference between traditional and lateral mentorship
- How structured mentorship improves retention and leadership development
- The common challenges that prevent mentorship from working
- Actionable steps you can take immediately to build stronger support systems
Whether you're a director, owner, instructional coach, or classroom teacher, this episode will inspire you to rethink how mentorship shows up in your program—and how it can transform your culture.
Because the truth is this: The best educators don’t grow alone. They grow together.
🎧 Tune in, take notes, and don’t forget to check the show notes to learn more about Carrie’s Peace Framework and how you can connect with her.
Link to connect with Kerry: Mentorship Masterclass | KD Talks
Early Education Empowerment Conference Purchase Tickets! – Early Childhood Education Empowerment Conference
🎟 Ready to take your leadership to the next level? Join us at the Early Education Empowerment Conference for powerful sessions, real-world strategies, and meaningful connection with leaders from across the country. See the link to grab your tickets and secure your spot today! Purchase Tickets! – Early Childhood Education Empowerment Conference